Current Construction Projects

Construction is expected to begin around February 1 on renovations to Fillmore Park, located at the corner of Fillmore and Clinton. The renovations will take advantage of a parcel of land added to the park in 2013, by moving several elements onto the new property, taking advantage of its more level contours. Among the elements included in the renovation plan are a pavilion, two age-appropriate playgrounds and swing sets, walking paths, water fountains, benches, trash cans, perimeter fence, park signs, and landscaping. Improvements are also planned for Fillmore avenue in the area of the park that will include traffic calming measures and a signalized pedestrian crosswalk designed to assist park users in getting to the park.

Much of the cost for the park improvements will be paid for through a grant from the Municipal Park Grant Commission of St. Louis County. Additional funding for the park elements will come from the half-cent Parks and Recreation Sales Tax Fund that is dedicated exclusively to supporting parks and recreations services in Kirkwood. The Fillmore Avenue improvements are being funded through the City of Kirkwood’s Public Works Department.

The contractor for the project, Ideal Landscape Group, estimates 60 days to complete the project, resulting in a projected opening estimated for May 2017. The graphic below shows the site design for these improvements.

Walker Lake Project

The following components of the Walker Lake Phase 3 construction project are now completed:

Replacement of the old asphalt path around the lake with a new concrete one that is ADA compliant

Adding lights to the pathway

Adding a paver area to the Walker Lake peninsula

Returning the bronze turtles that were originally on the now-defunct island to their lakeside habitat

Adding landscaping and rain gardens. The rain gardens were part of work required by the Metropolitan Sewer District (MSD) to address storm water detention and water quality issues

Removal of two outdoor racquetball/handball courts. Two new racquetball/handball courts will be located at the tennis court complex, with work expected to begin Fall 2013. See below.

Additionally, the park horticultural staff is working hard to sustain the various planting areas established as part of the overall project. Come by and take a walk around the lake!

Next up in the renovation of Walker Lake is Phase 4 which will consist primarily of replacing the concrete channel that leads from Geyer Road to Walker Lake with a more naturalized stream bed. The project is expected to begin in the fall of 2014. A grant has been secured from the Municipal Park Grant of St. Louis County to cover a substantial portion of the costs for the project.

Project Update, December, 2014: The Kirkwood City Council approved a contract with Two Alpha Contracting for construction of Walker Lake Phase 4. Construction is scheduled to begin in the middle of January, 2015, and is expected to be completed in about four months. Please note that during construction the North Drive to the Community Center parking lot will be closed to all traffic to facilitate construction.

Robert Reim Theatre, Community Center, Parking Lot

Project Update, Summer 2013: The Reim Theatre parking lot is complete and is fully functional. The new parking lot is beautiful and does a great job of detaining storm water. The project to replace the old asphalt parking lot at the Reim Theatre began in October 2012. The old lot was replaced with a pervious parking lot system, also with the goal of meeting MSD requirements for storm water detention and water quality.

Funding for Projects: Both the parking lot and Walker Lake projects are being paid for with funds generated by the half-cent Parks and Recreation Sales Tax. Monies from this tax, which was approved by voters in 1998, is dedicated solely to supporting parks and recreation services and facilities in the Kirkwood park system.

Project Summary: In Fall 2013, the existing tennis building near the rebuilt tennis courts (completed in May 2011) is scheduled for demolition. It will be replaced by a new building. Two older tennis courts (courts 9 and 10) were not included in the project to replace the old asphalt courts in the northeast corner of Kirkwood Park. Courts 1 - 8 were replaced with post-tensioned concrete courts and the perimeter fence replaced. As part of the Fall 2013 Racquet Sports Construction Project, however, court 9 will be reconfigured to include two outdoor racquetball/handball courts, a hitting wall, and an 8 and under "Quick Start" tennis court. Court 10 will remain a tennis court and will be resurfaced as part of the project, which is expected to be completed in Spring 2014. Click here to see the tennis building and site plan drawing.

Project Update (December, 2013): The resurfacing of Court 10 has been completed and the two handball/racquetball courts have been constructed. The new tennis building's walls are up and most of the roofing system has been installed. Much of the concrete flat work on the south and east sides of the project area have been completed. With the onset of winter weather, construction progress has slowed. Remaining tasks include finishing the building, completing the concrete walks and curbs and repaving the parking lot. The project is still on course to be finished in March of 2014.

Project Update (June 2014) Much of the project is complete and was officially opened for public use on May 10. The new handball/racquet courts are getting lots of use and the new building for the facility attendants and the tennis pro staff is up and running. The only remaining task is to resurface the area for the pickleball court, which will be located immediately to the north of the handball/racquetball courts. That part of the project is expected to take place the second week of July. [Pictured: The dedication of the new handball courts in May 2014.]

Project Update, December 2014: The final step, the installation of a dedicated pickleball court, has been completed. The new pickleball court is believed to be the only permanent outdoor pickleball court in St. Louis County!

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